I previously blogged about shield bugs and specifically a forest bug (Pentatoma rufipes) found on the reserve.

The one I found wasn’t quite in its adult form, but recently I discovered the finished article wandering across the wall of the visitor centre.

Comparing the two it’s obvious to see the adult form is much brighter, with funky orange legs, a bronzed body case and snazzy orange and black trimming.

The adults are sap feeders which munch on deciduous trees, with a particular liking for oak. They have special mouthparts which can pierce in to the veins of the tree and extract the tasty liquid. They lay their eggs in the cracks of tree bark which hatch the following spring to begin the lifecycle all over again . .

Bye for now,

Rhian (Seasonal Ranger)